I’m going to go ahead right now and say that I am in no way certified in special needs or autism; I’m a babysitter. I’ve been watching children of all ages since the ripe age of 13. To be honest, I always kind of hated it. Kids have no respect for the babysitter. If you’re not Mommy or Daddy, you better prepare to be disrespected and taken advantage of left and right. Now, this isn’t to say that I’ve hated every kid I’ve ever babysat, I’ve just saying it’s rare to find a good family who loves you like you are indeed part of that family. I started working for my second family a few years ago.
They have three boys -- twins and another younger boy. One of the twins is autistic and non-verbal. When I first started babysitting for the family I only watched one twin and the youngest kid. It wasn’t until about a year later that I first watched the child with autism. Their mother tried to prepare me as best she could what to expect, how to handle certain situations, and how to communicate with him. I was anxious when she left because I so badly wanted her to trust me to watch her son and I didn’t want to do anything wrong.
I’ve been babysitting him for about two years now and I can honestly say that the experience has changed my life. He is one of the happiest little boys I know. He is always squealing and laughing and just having a ball all by himself. When he needs something he taps me on the shoulder until I follow him to his iPad where he has an app that speaks for him. He loves to be outside and stare in silent wonder at the sky and the nature that surrounds him. I think I love him most when he lies back on the long swing built for two and stares at the sky through the leaves of a nearby tree.
Every day isn’t always great. He gets frustrated with me when I can’t figure out what he wants. He’s prone to tantrums that consist of violent screaming and crying and sometimes ramming his head into my stomach. The bathroom has yet to be mastered; I’ve cleaned up my fair share of number two from the carpet because sometimes he just can’t make it there or doesn’t try.
But here’s the thing -- the bad days make you treasure the good days more. The first time he trusted me enough to bring his iPad over to me and climb into my lap while I sat on the couch will forever hold a very special place in my memory. He’s such a special little boy and my life wouldn’t be half as rich if I hadn’t met him or his wonderful family. I love watching those three erratically different boys, though some days are better than others, just like with any other kid.
